


Not At Fault

by argylemikewheeler



Series: Season 3 Add-ons & Fix-its [2]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Conflict Resolution, Gen, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-10
Updated: 2019-07-10
Packaged: 2020-06-26 01:28:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19757791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/argylemikewheeler/pseuds/argylemikewheeler
Summary: Prompt: Could you write Will and Mike having an actual conversation about their argument because uuhhhh that did NOT get resolved at all





	Not At Fault

Will was scanning the storefronts for something with a heavy flat bottom with something to hold onto. They needed to flip that car, but a bunch of scrawny arms– plus Jonathan, Will thought begrudgingly– weren’t going to manage it any time soon. He hurried past the fountain to the GAP, nearly tripping over a sign. The sign rocked on its round, flat base–

“Hey, Will?” Mike was standing behind Will, and had been for _God_ knew how long. He’d been skirting around with surprising silence that entire evening. He looked preoccupied, but in a different way than the rest of them.

“Yeah, Mike?”

“Can… Can I talk to you for a second?” Mike stepped up to him awkwardly, his arms swaying by his side as if trying to motion his words out.

“… Now?”

“Yes, now.”

“Uhh, not now, Mike. We’re trying to outrun a monster. Maybe tomorrow is better?“

“We could die.” Mike said shortly. “Now. Please.”

Will placed both hands on the top of the tall, weighted pole. He folded his hands stood with one leg popped out, waiting but allowing his anxious foot tapping to be seen. “What, Mike?”

“Please don’t be mad at me.” Mike sighed, rubbing his eyes and turning away only to come rocking back. He made a quiet nose of discomfort before sighing.

“To not be mad, you kind of need to apologize.” Will didn’t want to bring any personal drama into their current chaos, but Mike seemed determined– and Will wanted to make it worth their demise. “You really hurt my feelings, Mike.”

“I know. I know! I’m sorry.” Mike let his hands drop by his sides, swinging forward and back again. Almost touching Will. “I was just really mad at everything that was happening. I felt, super helpless about everything–”

“Do you think _any_ of us feel in control right now?” Will said with a dry laugh.

“I’ve never had _someone_ in my life before, Will.” Mike said, trying to wrangle him back to _his_ point.

“You’ve _always_ had me. You’ve always had me, Mike. And I thought I had you.” Will let his hands fall and grab the sign, hoisting it off the ground.

“Hey! D-Don’t do that!”

“Don’t do _what_?” Will dropped the sign again with a clang, the rest of the group turning to find the noise in the cavernous mall. “Don’t think we’re friends? That you are the best friend I’ve ever had in my _whole life_? Or don’t get upset that I’ve become second to your desire to stick your tongue in our friend’s mouth!”

Everyone was staring toward them, the urgency of the situation freezing in the coldness of Will’s words.

“You haven’t come second to El.” Mike said quietly, startled by the truth. “I feel differently about her than I do about you.”

“Well, I don’t! How you feel about El _I_ feel… I don’t feel… Like that.” Will failed to be truthful. Even when death was storming toward them.

“What are you talking about?” Mike blinked, shaking his head. He reached and grabbed the sign, lifting it for Will. It was a strange olive branch, but Will let him try. “What… What do you mean?”

“It _is_ my fault I don’t like girls, Mike. It is _my. fault_.” Will reached and grabbed a second sign, already trying to go back to the group. He wanted to return to normalcy– or the new normal of constantly fearing for their lives.

“I shouldn’t have said that!” Mike cried, trying to catch up. He was always terrible at running, his only saving grace were his long legs. “I shouldn’t have said it was your fault. I-It’s not. It’s not a bad thing, Will. Look, I-I’m sorry!”

“Why are you sorry? Because I’m mad?”

“Because I don’t care that you’re… I don’t care that you’re gay!” Mike could’ve just as easily swung the sign around and hit Will upside the head; it would have felt the same.

Will stopped and let the sign drop to the ground, staring at Mike. The monster could have come through the ceiling and Will still would have stood in the middle of the mall, heart exposed and bleeding. He was relieved to no longer have to say it himself, but still mortified.

“What.”

“I said… I said, I don’t care that you’re gay– you don’t like girls. I don’t care. It doesn’t matter. A-And I shouldn’t have acted like it does– and that I should expect you to.” Mike sighed, his face falling. “I shouldn’t have put you second to my girlfriend. I l-love her and everything… but that doesn’t mean I can’t love my best friends too.”

Putting _love_ beside _best friend_ was more painful than Will expected. But really, what did he expect? Mike to suddenly come to his senses and realize that Will wasn’t just upset that he was the _only_ gay person the five of them seemed to know, but that he was the only person that knew Mike better than anyone else in that slowly crumbling mall and loved _every bit_ of him. No. Will couldn’t expect Mike to be so aware– his obliviousness was part of his charm.

Will swallowed the pain of knowing his own plans of subtlety had failed. “Why did you choose to tell me _in a fight_ that you knew.”

“Well, I–”

“Why did you use it against me.”

The ground rumbled, somewhere in the distance, and Will was only half sure it was the Flayer gaining on them. The other half of Will was sure it was his own fear and frustration rattling his bones and the buildings foundations. Why did Will have to love all the parts of Mike that hurt him?

“Guys! Come on! We need to get the cable _now_!” Jonathan yelled across the mall. “Hurry!”

“Just a minute!” Mike screamed back, although Will was ready to try walking away again.

“No, Mike. _Now_!” Nancy screamed. “This isn’t up for–”

“ONE. MINUTE.” Mike held his finger up, thrusting it forward over Will’s head. “ONE.”

No one argued back. The timer started.

“I–I didn’t mean for it to come out that way. I just– I was so frustrated with… with…”

“With me.”

“ _No_! No. With how there’s _nothing_ can do to help you–”

“I don’t _need_ help. I need my best friends to stop trying to feel up one of my friends.”

“It’s _not_ like that!”

“I may not like girls, but I’m not blind to how you look at them, Michael.”

“God! With the ‘Michael’ shit again. You _sound_ like my mother!” Mike snapped back. When he was wrong, he got defensive and snarky. Yet another unfortunate piece of charm Will still loved. Will hoisted his sign and tried walking again. “W-Wait! Okay. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that either.”

“You’re zero for two, Mike. Maybe we should wait until after this over. You can collect your thoughts.” Will said, stepping back slowly.

“No! No no. I can’t. I can’t go one more second not being friends with you.” Mike pleaded, dragging his sign to keep even with Will. “Please, let me apologize… Again. Let me apologize again, without being an asshole.”

“Mike, it’s okay. We’re still friends. Always are.”

“Yeah, but this isn’t how friends treat each other– I shouldn’t treat my friend like this.” Mike’s sign clanked against each tile as he walked, chasing after Will. “I shouldn’t have said… _any_ of the things I’ve said to you in the past like, three days. Having a girlfriend has made me into an idiot. And I’m _sorry_. I love you as you are, Will. How ever that is… Whenever you want to talk about it. I’m sorry. You’re my best friend and I don’t want to lose you. Especially not over a girl.”

Will took the opportunity to say it; an admission buried under misunderstanding.

“Love you too, Mike.”

Mike sighed with relief and started walking for far less urgency– funny enough– toward the car. Nancy looked annoyed but equally relieved as the boys passed the fountain. Jonathan waved them forward faster, arms extended for their signs.

“Can’t go back on our promise.” Mike said quietly just as they reached the group. No one acknowledged their break– Will’s ability to stop time.

“Wait. What promise?” Will asked. He let Jonathan take the piece from his hands, his fingers loosing grip as he looked at Mike; he was smiling.

Nancy started motioning for all of them to get back behind the car. Mike climbed up first, standing on the roof of the car. He placed his sign on the food counter first before turning back to Will. His eyes were crinkled and his lips were pressed into a familiar muted smile.

He extended a hand out to Will, ready to lift him.

“Crazy together, right?”

**Author's Note:**

> [The Rebloggable Post!](https://argylemikewheeler.tumblr.com/post/186084536030/could-you-write-will-and-mike-having-an-actual)


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